Ian Dewhirst

OK, it's not 100mph Northern Soul but it is one of the greatest Soul records ever put to plastic and Valentine's Day is coming up so we can get away with a slowie when it's as good as this! Yep, we just launched the Backbeats Facebook Page and we're delighted to have the opportunity to offer everyone the brilliant "I Choose You" by Paris as a free download on Valentine's weekend! Quite simply one of the greatest records ever made and our heartfelt thanks go to the owners of the Chi-Sound catalogue for their generosity in clearing such a timeless classic as part of the promotion for the Backbeats series. Go to..... https://www.facebook....17791178?ref=ts Join up and then go to the download page and hit the link. Download it and play it to your loved ones for the rest of your life. I wasn't gonna even post here because I was scaried of shameless self-promotion accusations but there's some interesting stuff afoot with Holland/Dozier/Holland, Invictus/Hot Wax/Music Merchant and the Gold Forever Publishing catalogue, so it'll be worth being plugged in I reckon! So join up. Ian D PS Mike and the Mods - If you need to shift to the appropriate area then please go ahead. I wasn't sure where to post.....

Yep. One and the same! Ian D

Lee Garrett! Had a Top 20 hit in '76 with the wonderful "You're My Everything". The "Heats For The Feet" album is great plus the original version of "Heart Be Still". Great songwriter but I love his voice as well..... Ian D

Hi George, I think one of the reasons that records are so revered over here is that often this was the only access we had to most U.S. Soul music from the 60's and 70's, being the other side of the Atlantic and all. This could be a key reason why attitudes differ. It's not like any of these acts were on our doorstep and U.S. air travel was out of reach to most people until the late 70's, so records were pretty much the only option. Whenever U.S. acts came over here to perform they'd generally get a fantastic reception, often much better than in their native homeland. In fact many acts moved over here because they were more popular, Edwin Starr, Tommy Hunt and Jimmy Ruffin being a few obvious examples. Others like J.J. Barnes came over here because there was only ever any demand in the U.K. Seeing him break down in tears when the audience sang along to "Please Let Me In" when he performed at Keighley Variety Club in the early 70's was one of the defining moments of my youth. In short, maybe the lack of easy access to most Soul music and regular live gigs could be a key factor in the Brits continuing obsession with U.S. Black music. One of those 'the grass is greener on the other side' type scenarios. Conversely, the fact that Soul music was easily available to seek out to U.S. natives throughout the 60's and 70's may have meant that it was undervalued by the indiginous population? Additionally, some people actually prefer recordings more than live performances. I do for sure. I see the finished recording as being the end result of a lot of factors which created a completed piece of work, whereas I tend to see live performances in a different way altogether - more of a spontaneous situation. As a lover of thousands of records, I've seldom seen a live concert which did justice to the original recording - I can name 'em on one hand actually. To each their own I guess..... And Tim Brown is about as obsessive as it's possible to get and is really a lover of Deep Soul more than Northern as it happens. He knows his stuff and would quite happily spend his life listening to Deep Soul whilst visiting every Zoo known to man. Strange but true. Another way of looking at it, is that maybe many of us don't treasure what's on our own doorsteps. I'm not too bothered about the history of dry-stone walling, coal mines or native North England folk music. All I ever wanted to listen to was mostly American Soul music from about '67 onwards because it triggered something within me that I wanted. By the same token, some of the most fanatical collectors of UK music that I've ever met also happen to come from thousands of miles away, so maybe there's something in the whole proximity angle after all. Interesting thread this. Probably one of the first times it's been properly discussed. Ian D

Couldn't agree more Tony. Both the above are great examples. Just because a few U.S. acts had the audacity to actually sell a few records in the U.K. they shouldn't be frowned upon. Even the acts who came over here to record are worthy of mention - co-incidentally I've been playing your Johnny Johnson album this week and I love some of the stuff he recorded here! "Sweet Inspiration" would have been a huge record if not for the fact it was a hit but I also generally like the rest of the stuff. His voice is just awesome....... Ian D

If only John, if only......... However, on a completely different note, within the next day or two a list of several years worth of unreleased recordings between '67-'74 from a trio of the most prolific songwriters in Northern Soul history will be landing on my lap! I already know a couple of the titles but not the versions mentioned so I'm salivating at what might be there. I'll start a seperate thread when everything's been established 'cos I'll definitely need some help from S.S. contributors (are you there Tony and Ady?)! Ian D

Actually I do admire your balls Arkwright even though the one on the left seems to be a lot lower than the one on the right. Mind you, you wanna see Mark Capanni's! To achieve those wailing high notes, his balls are situated somewhere around mid-stomach level..... Typical innit? I've just realised that I've spent most of the thread defending some Italo-American white Pop singer when I do actually like proper Soul music like........ I should have the Bobby Taylor unreleased demo version through shortly so we'll see what that's like when it lands! Ian D

Well, that's the beauty of forums innit Arkwright? I think the record is brilliant period. And I don't find the guy's vocals annoying at all - I think he sings it pretty soulfully for a white guy actually. I think it's a far better production than the Jackson Sisters (their vocals get on my nerves actually - too screechy LOL) and the fact that the song is a masterpiece with great lyrics and a catchy hook that was co-written by the great Bobby Taylor make it a winner for me. Dean Parrish, Len Barry, Bobby Sheen, Doni Burdick, Paul Anka, Lynn Randell, Dean Courtney, April Stevens, Bobby Paris, Mickey Lee Lane, The Casualeers, Johnny Caswell, Jason Knight, Dottie Cambridge, The Mob, Guy Darrell, P.J. Proby, The George Clinton Band, Beverly Ann, Billy Harner, Holly St James, Larry Santos, Billy Joe Royal, Wayne Gibson, Shane Martin, Jeanette Harper, The Human Beinz, Blanche Carter, The Majestics, The Jades, Judy Street, David & The Giants, Frankie Valli, R. Dean Taylor, The M.V.P.'s, Felix Cavaliere, Benny Troy, The Anderson Brothers, Mark Capanni... Not that I prefer white records or anything (I don't generally) but this is just another in a long line of well-produced white records that occasionally fits the bill. Nice to hear Ralph Tee play it on his show yesterday too.... Ian D

Absolutely right Richard. Also it's just occurred to me that financially it probably made more sense to keep the U.S. R'n'B "heritage" industry small and contained since the contracts were so bad! Hence the reason why the Rhythm & Blues Foundation was set up in 1988:- https://www.rhythm-n-blues.org/ From most of the record companies points of view it probably made more sense to ignore the back catalogues because there's always a new bunch of naive performers coming through who would sign anything to have a shot a being a star. Even though back catalogue accounts for well over 50% of the revenues this wasn't something that they particularly wanted to publicise. Even now there is an attitude at some companies that it's almost not worth digging out old tapes because that could open a can of worms! Also another impediment to the re-issuing of old obscure titles, is that many of the contracts that were written in the 60's specifically dealt with physical carriers only. Back then no one realised that the future would hold a digital revolution, so a lot of the repertoire owned by the majors especially would require new contracts for digital and that would probably require a substantial renegotiation of the original terms! Ian D

Actually I can't fault Val. I turned up there in late '76 and he let me stay at his place which was pretty decent of him. I spent a fascinating night listening to his tales about the Doo-Wop collectors market which dwarfed Northern Soul at the time and involved big money, guns and gangsters on occasion. I probably got off lightly 'cos when I entered the shop he was having a massive arguement with a Canadian black guy that was trawling for stuff for the Japanese. Apparently this guy always messed up Val's filing system and haggled to the 9th degree so as entered the shop there was a screaming match going on - "Get the f*ck out of my shop Motherf*cker" etc, etc. Unbelievably the same guy turned up again the next day and ended up actually getting some records off Val even after the arguement. I was leaving for the UK that same day and the Canadian guy asked if I could give him a lift on the way to the airport so I said I'd split the cab fare with him. We got about 20 minutes away from the shop and without any warning the guy just bailed out of the cab @ around 20mph! I looked out the back window of the cab to see an afro-haired black guy in a long leather coat rolling around in the road before he got up and legged it with the 45's still in his hand! Val was right........... Ian D

Couldn't agree more Mel. The song is important to me. I've heard some terrible songs by great Soul singers and some great songs which have been badly performed by great Soul singers. So if all the other ingredients are correct (i.e. song, arrangement, production etc) I can often live with a decent white vocalist. In a perfect world every song would be great with a great Soul vocalist but life doesn't always work like that...... ...and you're right. There's some decent blue-eyed Soul tucked away out there...... Ian D

Reinstated now Drew.... Ian D

Are you ready for that Don Gardner yet? Ian D

Interesting concept. Someone was playing it in the office t'other week and I heard Dan Folger's "The Way Of The Crowd" for the first time and it blew me away.......... Ian D

Well that certainly makes sense doesn't it? That's excellent detective work Sebastian. Also it's quite curious that he went back in the studio after the Jackson Sisters had already charted - they were on the R'n'B charts for 5 weeks from the 29th September '73, so he went back in the studio 11 months after they charted and re-recorded the song. Someone must have believed in it....... Ian D

Ian How about this? Mick

Well here's a l'il something I dug up from '65..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnCB7oni8o Ian D src=" ">

Cheers mate! Yep it came out OK. I was very happy with it. Ian D

Six words: Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch. How would you like it if you were, say, the bass player with the Buzzy Bunch and people kept truncating your one second of fame.????? Chris Hamilton was early Mecca not Disco era..... Ian D

Oh I see Paul. Yep Graham Slater has a lot to answer for LOL. He fanned the flames at a very impressionable point in my life and it's been downhill ever since! Ian D

Stranger things have happened Sean - Benny Troy frightened the hell out of me when I stumbled into him in the dead of night @ Prestatyn last year @ 4.00 am...... .....and I wouldn't want to meet Bobby Paris on a dark night anywhere LOL....... https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xhLBgCY-IO4 Ian D

I think it is. He now runs a restaurant in L.A. He must be bemused by the interest which is coming from different areas of the UK........ https://brownswood.5.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=28796 Ian D

Well, blow me down LOL. You learn something new every day. Prefer the Stylistics obviously and Connie Stevens has zero soul but I do actually like some of this stuff like the Mark Capanni, Len Barry, Johnny Caswell, Anderson Brothers etc 'cos at least they had the right production values. Even though I obviously prefer Soulful vocals I'm not completely adverse to hearing a white voice every now and then as long as the production works. But, yes, I kinda concurr that if, say, Cleveland Horne did the vocals on the same backing track as Mark Capanni that would be a record made in heaven........ Ian D

Yep Paul, the magic suitcase with 400 odd records in for £25 including a nice Art Freeman on red Atlantic! Thanks for the loan Dad! Ian D

Ian D